The present invention relates generally to hats and, more particularly, to hats that are preferably used for babies to provide support and protection and, in some situations, stability thereto.
According to medical studies conducted between 1981 and 1991, there is a strong correlation between infants sleeping in a prone position (i.e., on their stomachs) and death from sudden infant death syndrome (“SIDS”) or crib death. Infants generally are most vulnerable to risks of SIDS between the age of 2 and 4 months. Infants who died from SIDS were generally found suffocated—i.e., dead from on their stomach with their faces, noses, and mouths covered by soft bedding, such as pillows, quilts, comforters and sheepskins.
In 1992, the American Academy of Pediatricians (“AAP”) issued a number of recommendations as part of a campaign to reduce the risk of SIDS. The AAP policy recommendations, which are commonly known as the AAP “Back to Sleep” Campaign, are as follows: (1) infants should sleep on their backs to reduce the risks of SIDS; (2) infants should sleep on a firm, tight-fitting mattress, and never on a waterbed, soft mattress, pillow or other soft surface; (3) measures should be taken to prevent the infant from overheating while sleeping (i.e., the infants should not be overdressed in excessive clothing); and (4) pillows, quilts, comforters, pillow-like stuffed toys, and other soft products should be removed from the crib in order to eliminate the risk that the infant's face and mouth accidentally might be covered by these items while the infant is asleep.
The AAP “Back to Sleep” campaign has substantially reduced SIDs deaths (by as much as 40 percent according to some studies). However, it also has resulted in certain unintended consequences. Specifically, there has been a dramatic increase (by as much as 500 percent) in the number of babies with “positional” skull deformities, such as positional plagiocephaly or commonly referred to as flat heads. For instance, in 1974, positional plagiocephaly occurred once in every 300 live births among prone-sleeping infants. Following the “Back to Sleep” program, the frequency of positional phagiocephaly increased to 1 in 60. Infant skull deformities generally become severe during the first few weeks of life, as the infant spend a significant number of hours each day sleeping on his or her back, consistent with the AAP's recommendation. Further, incidents of torticollis or twisted neck, a condition where the infant has a tendency to keep his or her head tilted to one side only, also increased significantly.
The increases in positional phagiocephaly and torticollis are attributable to the infants sleeping on a firm surface coupled with the fact that all soft bedding materials are removed from the crib, as recommended by AAP. The consequence is that the infant's head rests on a firm surface, and the weight of the baby's head pressing down against this fat surface results in pressure being applied to the back area of the baby's head, thereby causing that area of the infant's head to flatten. Indeed, the AAP itself has recognized that the increasing incidence of skull deformity, such as the flat head syndrome, is likely attributable its the Back to Sleep campaign.
There are three basic types of treatments for positional plagiocephaly. First, the infant could be repositioned during sleep so as to alternate the sleeping positions. Second, “skull-molding” devices could be used to reshape the infant's skull. Third, in rare instances when the deformities are severe, surgery could be used as the last resort option.
It may be advantageous to provide a hat that: preferably may provide a comfortable head cover for a baby; preferably may include protective padding; and that preferably may help comfortably cushion and position a baby's head when the baby is lying on his or her back or being held.